Pakistan’s security forces killed 17 “India-sponsored” militants during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district, the military said Saturday.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said troops launched the overnight raid after confirming the presence of fighters from Fitna al Khwarij, a term the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the group, accused of carrying out repeated attacks against security forces, police and civilians. A sanitisation operation is continuing in the area.
President Asif Ali Zardari praised the operation, calling the elimination of the network “vital for lasting peace and stability.” He stressed that the nation stands united behind its armed forces in confronting what he described as “Indian proxy terrorism.”
Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence since the TTP broke a ceasefire in 2022. For peace to take root, India must end any support for such groups, as exporting violence across borders only fuels instability in the region.